Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor Hands On

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More multiplayer mayhem from the team at Relic.

By Steve Butts

The Company of Heroes sequel Tales of Valor is due out in a few weeks so, to break with the normal tumult and turmoil of GDC, we thought it would be a great time to talk about some of our experiences with an early build of the game. We recently had the chance to play through two of new modes in the game with the folks from Relic and it's got us even more excited to get our hands on the final version.

First up is Operation Panzerkrieg. This three-on-three map takes place in a sort of industrial facility where each player controls just a single tank. The two teams each start with a repair depot on their side of the map and a few nearby munitions points to capture. The real conflict occurs in the middle of the map as the two teams battle for control of three separate locations and the benefits they provide, not to mention the victory points they generate.

To the south there's a radio tower that grants the controlling team some air support, first in the form of reconnaissance and then later in the form of strafing and bombing runs. The mortar station in the middle of the field allows the controlling team access to artillery strikes. At the far north end of the map is an infantry barracks. Control this one and you'll be able to call in infantry support to protect certain objectives. Since the whole conflict boils down to six tanks, having a few extra squads of infantry can really make a difference. And if you hold the barracks long enough, you'll even be able to call in stealth infantry armed with sniper rifles and sticky bombs.

The winner of this map is determined by victory points and the host can set the match for 250, 500 or 1000 points. In addition to scoring points for holding the objectives, you can also score points for taking out enemy tanks. This leads to some of the same last-minute tension found in Battlefield 1942 where a few careless deaths can mean the difference between winning and losing in a close match.

The Allies and the Axis each have three different types of tanks they can choose for the battle and each tank has six different upgrades that you can purchase by spending command points earned during combat. The short 250 points will likely only see players making a couple of selections among the cheaper, weaker powers, but in our longer matches with higher victory point limits we had access to all the various upgrades by the end.

On the Allied side, players can go for the M18 Hellcat. This tank destroyer is made for speed and comes with a number of offensive upgrades. With the right upgrades it can drop mines and fire two types of armor piercing shells. It can also be equipped with camouflage markings that give it a great first strike bonus, or with increased visibility that gives it a better chance to spot the enemy's camouflaged units. It can also gain the ability to mark enemy units, which lowers their evasion, makes them more vulnerable to attacks and even continues to reveal them through the fog of war. It's one of the cheaper upgrades for the Hellcat but one that can really mess up a rival's plans.

The M4 Sherman is nearly as good a direct fighter as the Hellcat but it has a few more support oriented upgrades. Crab flails can make short work of enemy minefields, while the .50 cal cuts down enemy infantry, and the smoke canisters screen friendly movement. Even players who would like to play a support role will find it hard to resist purchasing the 76mm gun upgrade for the Sherman. This massive gun upgrade is probably the best in the game as it offers a long range, high explosive, armor piercing, area attack. What's not to like?

The Churchill is the heavy tank of the bunch and, though it lacks the massive attack upgrades of the other two tanks, it's a force to be reckoned with. It has speed upgrades to get it in and out of battles in a hurry and can even go hull down to trade mobility for improved armor. Flamethrowers can toast enemy infantry and the tread breaker upgrade immobilizes enemy tanks for a short time. But the Churchill's greatest utility is in its ability to boost the performance of other tanks in the field. It can heal nearby tanks with the field repair upgrade and can improve their visibility and attack speed with the heroic assault upgrade.

Arrayed against them are three Axis tanks that are just as deadly and just as versatile. The Hotchkiss is small but tough and is ideal for players who like to ambush the enemy. Combining the camouflage upgrade with a few well placed mines and an immobilizing stun shot allows the Hotchkiss to get in several good shots without having to worry about return fire. This extra bit of time is best spent firing off the massive barrage of rockets from the Wurfrahmen 40. They take a while to get off, but if you can find a stationary enemy, they can do a lot of damage when they connect.